Jet Li, star of some of the finest Hong Kong martial arts movies ever and Hollywood fare such as Cradle 2 The Grave and Romeo Must Die, is starring in his most unique and action-packed movie yet - and it's only on PlayStation 2.

Rise to Honour is a cinematic action title starring the kung fu king in the role of Kit Yun, a double agent from the Hong Kong Organised Crime Bureau working for a large Chinese criminal gang. When Boss Chiang, the gang's leader, is assassinated following attempts to reform, Kit is charged with heading to San Francisco to deliver an important letter to his late employer's daughter. Unfortunately for him, the gang's ruthless and highly ambitious new leader is prepared to put the lives of all of his loyal underlings on the line to intercept Kit's delivery.

What follows is a non-stop procession of thrilling set pieces in which you, as Kit, must battle foes using all the martial arts techniques at your disposal, as well as the fully interactive environments, devastating hand-to-hand weaponry and, when the time calls for it, an impressive array of firepower. With an innovative 360-degree combat system, movie-style cutscenes and the fully motion captured likeness of Jet Li (who has also loaned his voice to the proceedings), this is likely the closest you'll ever get to directing and starring in a movie with the kung fu-wielding maestro.

Unlike your average fighting game, Rise to Honour utilises the right analog stick of your DualShock for all of your combat needs. By simply pushing the stick in the direction of your attackers, you can unleash a variety of high-kicking combinations and divide your efforts between multiple opponents simply by tapping away in the relevant directions. Combine your movements with the R1 and L1 buttons and you'll open up a variety of deadly throws, cunning counters, gravity-defying special moves and context-sensitive attacks. For example, grabbing an enemy near a hot grill in a kitchen will result in Kit shoving the unfortunate crim's face into the searing hot metal, complete with the wince-inducing sound of sizzling skin.

A similar method is also used for the John Woo-inspired shooting sections, which usually see Kit wielding a pair of pistols or sub-machine guns and blasting felons while ducking behind scenery for protection. 360-degree aiming is achieved with the right analog stick, and the R2 button pulls the triggers; snapping the stick in the direction of up to two enemies will lock your sights onto them for precision aiming, while the L1 button is used to perform dramatic, slow-motion dives that let you take out multiple enemies in a matter of seconds.

Thanks to streaming technology, Rise to Honour's action never lets up; cutscenes immediately blend into the gameplay and vice versa, adding to the game's authentic, movie-like feel. Complementing this atmosphere are other thoughtful small touches, such as the stage selection, which is presented in the same fashion as a DVD scene selection menu.

Analog fighting system allows for true 360-degree combat

Play as Jet Li - fully motion captured and voice acted by the man himself